Citrus fruit seed loosener and sectionizer



Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,072,160

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 1 o vm O In INVENTOR HANS W. GROTEWOLKD BY m ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,072,160

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 l7 Sheets-Sheet 2 F INVENTOR HANS W. GROTEWOLD BY M w ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,072,160 CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOQSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 25. 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 3 F'IE I; 44:

I8 I I64 nllll 246 INVENTOR HANS VI. GROTEWOLD' ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 1 IT/IOGG H. W. GROTEWOLD CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 a :IOZ

INVENTOR 86 anus w. GROTEVIOLD- no |o4 BY MW e? A m-MW- H2 ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,072,160

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 5 r I l 245 I 243 ;Ea 4.48 256 2 5 I99 5 [5 l NVENTOR HANS W. GROTEWOLD ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,072,160

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR HANS W. GROTE VIOLD ATTORN EY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,072,160

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 25, 1958 TII3 1E ass a 900 P 891 x 3 17 Sheets-Sheet 7 I3 b d 327 INVENTOR 303 HANS w. GROTEWOLD By M ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,072,160

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTO'R HANS W. GROTE WOLD ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,07 60 CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 25, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR HANS W. GROTEWOLD ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,07 60 CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 25, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 1O ummm mam Q00 mON.

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CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 1''! Sheets-Sheet 11 INVENTOR HANS W. GROTEWOLD ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWQLD 3, 7

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet l3 INVENTOR HANS W. GROTEWOLD BY MW, 41M- ATTORNEY 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLDA 3,

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet l4 F'IE EI1 538c INVENTOR HANS w. snore-wow ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,072,160

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 2a, 1958 17 SheetsSheet 15 Fm omw w$ m5 @m0 INVENTOR HANS W. GROTEWOLD BY Ham ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 H. w. GROTEWOLD 3,072,160

CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Filed April 23, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 16 F'IE ZEIEI INVENTOR HANS VI. GROTEWOLD- BY My '6. HWM

ATTORNEY 3,072,160 1 CITRUS FRUIT SEED LOOSENER AND SECTIONIZER Hans W. Grotewold, Sebring, Fla., assignor to FMC Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 23, 1958, Ser. No. 730,335 17 Claims. (Cl. 146-3) This invention pertains to the processing of fruit and more particularly relates to an apparatus for sectionizing citrus fruit, such as grapefruit.

The meat or juice-bearing portion of citrus fruit is composed of groups of interconnected juice sacs, each group being in the form of a segmental section which is surrounded by a membrane. The portions of the segment wall, which extend more or less radially from the pithy core of the whole fruit and define the plane faces of the segment, are referred to as radial membranes, while the portion of the segment Wall which lies adjacent the peel of the fruit and defines the spherical face of the segment is called the outer membrane.

In the citrus fruit industry, sectionizing is an operation by which the naturally-shaped, membrane-free meat segments are removed from citrus fruit, particularly grapefruit, and this operation is generally performed by first peeling off the outer skin and albedo, subjecting the fruit to a hot lye treatment to remove the'outer membrance from the segments, and stripping individually the segmental juice sac groups from their radial membranes. The stripping operation is usually carried out manually by inserting a blade between the meat segment and each radial membrane and cutting the meat segment loose. Such manual sectionizing is inefiicient since the speed at which the operators must work makes it impossible for them to handle small irregular meat segments or to carefully cut loose even the larger meat segments.

Machines previously proposed for sectionizing grapefruit have met with limited success due to the fact that the segments in grapefruits vary in number between nine and sixteen in the average fruit and usually are of unequal size and shape. In addition, the radial membranes seldom extend in true radial directions or in flat planes. These and other variable characteristics of the fruit make it difficult to use a sectionizing machine to obtain well-formed,

membrane-free meat segments in their natural size with out excessive rupturing of the juice sacs of the meat.

The present invention provides an apparatus which is particularly adapted to efficiently s'ectionize grapefruit. In accordance with the teaching of the present invention, a first set of fiat blades is moved down into a grapefruit at points encircling the central core of the fruit, each blade States atent being inserted between two adjacent radial membranes of the fruit at the apex V-shaped meat segment enclosed by the membranes. When the blades have penetrated a short distance into the grapefruit, each blade is positively moved laterally toward one of the membranes to contact or find the membrane. Then the downward movement of the blades axially of the grapefruit is resumed and, when the blades have penetrated through the grapefruit, each blade is positively turned to a position generally parallel to the radial membrane and is moved toward the periphery of the grapefruit while it is resiliently pressed against the membrane. The lateral movement of each blade, to seek out and contact a membrane before the blade is moved toward the periphery, prevents the cutting of the meat segments at any point other than adjacent a membrane. Also, the positive turning of each blade after the membrane has been contacted prevents rupturing of the membrane which will occur if the membrane itself must deflect the blade to a radial position. When one set of blades has separated the meat segments from one of description taken in connection with radial membranes, additional sets of blades are moved down into the grapefruit at preselected positions so that additional membranes are contacted and separated from the meat segments. As a result of the efiicient action of the several blades, the grapefruit is secti onized in a manner that produces well-formed meat segments which are of substantially natural size and contain a minimum of ruptured juice sacs.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved fruit processing machine.

Another object is to provide an improved machine for sectionizing citrus fruit, such as grapefruit.

Another object is to provide an improved feed mechanism for a fruit processing machine. "Another object is to provide an efiicient fruit feed mechanism. ,Another object is to mechanism.

Another object is to provide a seed loosening mecha nism for a fruit processing machine.

Another object is to provide an improved turret construction for a fruit processing machine. I

Another object is to provide an eflicient citrus fruit sectionizing mechanism.

Another object is to provide an improved blade holder "ice provide an improved fruit transfer and blade actuating mechanism for a fruit sectionizing mechanism. v Another object is to provide a fruitholder for a fruit processing machine. g V

Another object is to provide a mechanism for removing from a fruit processing machine the core of a fruit from which the meat segments have been stripped.

Another object is to provide an improved drive mechanism for a fruit processing machine.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the grapefruit sectionizing machine of the present invention, with parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 3-3 ofFIG.2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of a portion'o'f the machine of FIG. 2, taken looking in the direction of lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of a portion ofthe feed turret shown in FIG. 4 with parts broken away and parts shown in sections 1 FIG. 6 is a reduced fragmentary vertical section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section of FIG. 4. j

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectiontaken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the transfer turret of FIG. 4 with parts broken away and parts shown in section.

FIG. 10 is a horizontal section taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is an elevation taken looking in the direction of arrows 11-11 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12A is a horizontal section taken on line 12A- 12A of FIG. 12. V

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 11 with parts broken away.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 13. ,7

taken along line 7-7 FIG. is an enlarged perspective taken looking in the direction of arrow 15 of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along line 1616 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary plan of a portion of the machine of FIG. 1 with parts broken away.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of a portion of the first sectionizing head of the present machine, showing the mounting of one blade holder of the head.

FIG. 19 is a perspective of one of the elements of the blade holderof FIG. --18.

FIG. 20 is a more or less schematic plan view of one blade holder mechanism of one head shown in operative relation with a grapefruit which is also shown schematically.

FIGS. 2124, inclusive, are views similar to FIG. 20 but showing consecutive operating positions of the blade holder of FIG. 20.

FIG. 25 is an enlarged horizontal section of the first sectionizing head of the machine, taken along line 25-25 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 26 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of a portionof the machine taken looking in the direction of arrows 2626 of FIG. 17. FIG. 27 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of a portion of the third sectionizing head of the present machine particularly showing the mounting of the blade mechanism.

FIG. 28 is a more or less diagrammatic plan view of the blade holder of FIG. 27 shown in operative position with a grapefruit.

FIGS. 29 and 30 are views similar to FIG. 28 showing successive operating positions of the blade holder of FIG. 28.

FIG. 31 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of a blade holder of the fourth sectionizing head of the machine of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a more or less diagrammatic plan view of the blade holder of FIG. 31 shown in operative relation with a grapefruit.

FIGS. 33, 34 and 35 are views similar to FIG. 32 showing successive operating positions of the blade holder of FIG. 32.

FIG. 36 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 3636 of FIG. 17.

FIG. 37 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along line 37-37 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 38 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along line 38-38 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 39 is a diagrammatic perspective of the drive mechanism of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 40 is a chart showing the timing of the mechanisms on the main turret of the machine of FIG. 1.

General Operation In the grapefruit sectionizer of the present invention peeled and treated grapefruits are advanced on a supply conveyor A (FIGURES 1 and 2) to a position within reach of an operator, who stands in front of a feed turret B and places each grapefruit on the feed turret at station C of the turret. The feed turret B is intermittently indexed through 90 angular increments in a clockwise direction (FIG. 2) to bring each grapefruit to a transfer station D where the grapefruit is automatically transferred from the feed turret B to a transfer turret E which is also arranged to be intermittently indexed in 90 increments in synchronism with the move ments of feed turret B, but in a counterclockwise direction, The grapefruit is then moved to a seed disturbing station F and then to a second transfer station G where it is deposited in one' of a plurality of fruit carriers mounted on a main turret H (FIG. 1). The main turret H is arranged to be intermittently indexed through angular increments in a clockwise direction to move the grapefruit successively into operative association with a second seed disturber unit 40' (FIG. 2) and with first, second, third and fourth heads 41, 42, 43, and 44, respectively, which are carried by and project downwardly from a vertically movable tool carrier or top plate P. Each head has a plurality of blades arranged to be moved down into a grapefruit to separate pie-shaped meat segments from the grapefruit core and the radial membranes. The sectionized grapefruit with the separated segments disposed around the core is then brought under a spinner or stripper unit 45 that wraps the radial membranes around the stationary core, causing any remaining bond between the membranes and the segments to be completely broken and causing the segments to drop onto a discharge conveyor 46. The core is then moved to a position under a core stripping mechanism 47 which removes the core from the fruit carrier.

Supply conveyor The supply conveyor A comprises an endless belt 50 (FIG. 2) disposed around an idler pulley 51 and a drive pulley 52 which is keyed to a shaft 53 suitably journalled in a support structure 54. The shaft 53 carries one element 55 of a two piece friction clutch 56, the other element 57 being slidably journalled on an extension 53a (FIG. 3) of the shaft, said extension having a collar 58 secured to its outer end. The slidable clutch element 57 has a friction face arranged to engage a similar face on the element 55. A power driven, continuously rotating sprocket 62 is formed on the clutch element 57 so that, when the two clutch elements are brought into driving engagement, the shaft 53 will be rotated to advance grapefruit on the endless belt 50 toward the delivery end of the belt. A chain 63 (FIG. 2) which is driven in a manner to be described hereinafter, is trained around sprocket 62.

The slidable clutch element 57 is moved into and out of frictional driving engagement with the element 55 by means of a solenoid 65 (FIG. 3) which is mounted on a bracket 66 secured to the conveyor support structure 54. The solenoid 65 has an actuator arm 68 provided with a forked end 68a disposed around shaft extension 53a between the collar 58 and a slidable collar 70. When the solenoid is deenergized, the solenoid plunger 65a is spring urged to the position of FIG. 3 and the upper end of the arm 68 is moved toward the left (FIG. 3) causing the slidable collar 70 to exert a force on the slidable clutch member 57 through a coil spring 71 to move the clutch elements into engagement. When the solenoid is energized, the upper end of the actuator arm 68 is moved toward'the right, relieving the pressure on the slidable clutch member 57 and permitting the friction faces of the clutch members to move relative to each other.

The solenoid is connected in an electric circuit with the normally open contacts of a switch 74 (FIG. 2) which has an actuator arm 74:: adapted to be engaged by a grapefruit as it arrives at the delivery end of the belt 50. The arrangement is such that the arriving grapefruit hits actuator arm 74a and closes the contacts of switch 74 to energize the circuit and deactivate the clutch and the endless belt. The endless belt will remain deactivated until the operator lifts the grapefruit away from the switch actuator arm 74a, whereby the switch contacts are automatically returned to their normally open position, deenergizing the solenoid to activate the clutch and the endless belt so that another grapefruit will be advanced to the delivery end of the belt.

Feed Turret sprocket is keyed to the shaft. The sprocket abuts the upper end of the tubular bearing 81 and thereby prevents downward movement of the shaft 80 in the bearing. A horizontal plate 86 (FIG. 4) is mounted on the shaft 80, said plate having a central portion 86a (FIG. 5) secured by capscrews 87 to a bracket 89 that is keyed to the shaft 80 by setscrews 83 and has four equi-spaced vertical recesses 89a, each recess being defined by a rear Wall 8915 and two spaced side walls 890 and 89a. The support plate 86 has equally spaced peripheral cutout portions 90 (FIG. 7) which divide the radially outer portion of the plate into four support arms 91. A fruit positioning unit and a fruit clamping unit 101 (FIG. 5) are mounted on each of these arms. All four positioning units 100 are identical and all four clamping units 101 are identical. Accordingly, a description of one of each of these units 100 and 101 will be sufiicient to disclose the structure and operation of all of the units.

Each positioning unit 100 (FIG. 5) comprises a tubular member 102 which has projections 102a on one end and is mounted on a lever 103 that is secured to one end of a shaft 104. The shaft which is journalled for rotation in a plate 105 secured to the undersurface of the support plate 86, as seen in FIG. 6, carries a brake block 106 which has a lower surface adapted to engage a similar surface on a brake lever 107. A spring 108, that is connected between the plate 86 and the brake block 106, urges the block in a direction tending to effect clockwise pivoting of lever 103 (FIG. 6) to raise the positioning member 102. The brake lever 107 is pivotally mounted on the plate 105 by a shaft 109 and is urged upwardly toward the brake ele ment 106 by a spring 110, connected between a stud 111 (FIG. 5) in the support plate 86 and the upper bent end 112a of a brake release rod 112 which projects through the end of the lever 107. The lever 103 is movable from a lowered position wherein it abuts a stop member formed by an extension (FIG. 6) of shaft 109 and wherein the positioning member 102 is disposed in a key-shaped opening 114 (FIG. 5) in the plate 86 to an upwardly projecting position shown in FIG. 5, with an end surface 1060 of the brake block 106 abutting a stop member provided by the undersurface of the plate 86. In both the upper and lower positions the brake block 106 engages the lever 107 and is effective to hold the lever 103 in position.

When the lever 103 is in the raised position of FIG. 5, the operator places the blossom end of a peeled grapefruit against the projections 102a and swings the member 102 downwardly to move the positioning member into the opening 114 in the plate 06 and bring the grapefruit down onto the plate 36 directly below a centering light 115 (FIG. 4). The light 115 is suitably supported from the main turret support structure by an arm 116 and so positioned that a vertical beam of light is directed downwardly toward the center of the positioning eiement 102 in the opening 114 in the plate. Accordingly, a spot of light is projected onto the grapefruit and, if the spot falls on the stem end of the grapefruit, the stem-blossom axis of the grapefruit is in a true vertical position.

Each clamping unit 101 comprises a clamp arm 120 (FIG. 5) pivotally mounted on a pin 121 (FIG. 7) which extends between two spaced wall members 122:: and 12215 of a bracket 122 that is secured to the turret shaft 80 by setscrews 124 (FIG. 5). Prongs or spurs 125 are formed on the outer end of the arm 120. A downwardly projecting link 126 is pivotally connected to clamp arm 120 by a pin 127 that is fastened on the clamp arm 120 at a point spaced from the pivot pin 121. At its lower end the link 126 is pivoted on a pin 130 projecting from a lever 131 which has an inner end portion 131a (FIG. 8) pivotally mounted on a pin 132 extending between the side Walls 89c and 89d of the bracket 89. A rod-like handle 135 which is secured in the outer end of lever 131, projects upwardly into the adjacent recess 90 within convenient reach of the operator. A spring 136 is connected between the lever 131 and the plate 06 to urge the 6 lever upwardly to bring the clamp arm 120 to the upright position of FIG. 5. In this position, an adjustable stop bolt 138 (FIG. 8) which is threaded through an ear formed on the inner end of the lever, abuts the rear wall 8% of the associated recess 09a.

When the clamp arm 120 is moved downwardly to clamp a grapefruit against the plate 86, a brake shoe 140 (FIG. 5) which is also keyed to the same shaft 121 that carries lever 120, and has a serrated surface 140a, is swung forwardly and downwardly until one of the edges provided by the serrated surface engages a knife edge 141, formed on a lever by rolling one end of a flat spring element 142 and placing it in a hole 143 of the lever 150 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 151 projecting from the bracket 122. The interengagement of the knife edge 141 and the serrated surface of the brake shoe 140 locks the clamp arm in clamped relation on the grapefruit. I

As seen in FIG. 4, each lever 150 has an inclined camming edge 150a at its upper end. This edge 150a is positioned for contact by a roller 154, which is mounted on an arm 155 fixed to a bracket 156 that is carried by the top plate P for vertical movement therewith. The roller 154 is arranged to contact the camming edge and swing the lever 150 about pin 151, moving the knife edge away from the serrated surface of the brake element against the action of a spring 157 (FIG. 5) which is connected between a pin 158 on the lever 150 and the bracket 122. The spring 157 hold the lever 150 in the upright position of FIG. 5 at all times except when the lever is engaged by roller 154.- It will be noted in FIG. 4 that the roller 154 on the top plate P is positioned above station D where the grapefruit GE is transferred from the feed turret B to the transfer turret E. At this station D, the grapefruit to be transferred is clamped between the clamp lever 120 and the piate 86. Accordingly, when the roller 154 is moved downwardly and engages camming edge 150a to release the brake element, the spring 136 associated with the clamping lever 120 swings the lever away from the grapefruit to its upper position unclamping the grapefruit.

Similarly, the brake lever 107 associated with each grapefruit positioning member 102 is released by a circular plate 160, which is mounted on the transfer turret E, contacts a lever 161 that is pivotally mounted on a pin 162 welded to a plate 163 secured to the feed turret shaft 80. As will be explained presently, the plate acts as a lifter member at station F and as a latch plate at stations D and G. The lever 161 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the brake release rod 112. When the circular plate 160 on the transfer turret moves downwardly and contacts the lever 161, it pivots lever 161 downwardly, causing the rod 112 to release the brake lever 107. The spring 108, associated with the lever 107, will then swing the positioning lever 102 to upright position. This release of the positioning lever 102 does not take place at the transfer station D but is effected following the next indexing movement that moves the lever away from station D.

Transfer Turret The transfer turret E (FIGURES 4 and 9) comprises a vertical shaft which is rotatably journalled near its upper end in a bearing 181 (FIG. 4) that is welded to the bracket 156 secured to the top plate P. Collars 183 and 184 are secured by setscrews to the shaft 180- on either side of the bearing 181 so that vertical reciprocating movement of the bearing with the top plate P causes vertical reciprocation of the shaft 130. The shaft 180 extends downwardly through a hub which has a prong carrier plate 191 and a depending tubular shaft 192 (FIG. 9) welded thereto. A pin 195 extends through an opening in the lower end of shaft 130 and into the side walls of the tubular shaft 192 so that the tubular shaft 192 is secured to the turret shaft 100 for vertical reciprocating movement and rotary movement. A see- 

1. A MACHINE FOR PROCESSING CITRUS FRUIT, A FRUIT-PROCESSING TURRET, A PLURALITY OF SYMMETRICAL FRUIT HOLDERS MOUNTED ON SAID TURRET, EACH HOLDER BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A PEELED FRUIT IN FIXED POSITION ON THE TURRET WITH THE AXIS OF THE FRUIT SUBSTANTIALLY ON THE AXIS OF THE HOLDER, FOUR SECTIONIZING HEADS MOUNTED ABOVE SAID TURRET, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID TURRET IN PREDETERMINED ANGULAR INCREMENTS TO POSITION EACH FRUIT HOLDER SUCCESSIVELY UNDER EACH OF SAID HEADS, SIX BLADES MOUNTED IN DEPENDING RELATION IN EACH HEAD IN A CIRCULAR FORMATION WITH THE AXIS OF THE CIRCLE COINCIDING WITH THE AXIS OF EACH FRUIT HOLDER WHEN THE HEAD IS DISPOSED THEREABOVE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID HEADS DOWNWARDLY TO MOVE THE BLADES OF EACH HEAD INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A FRUIT HELD THEREBELOW IN ONE OF SAID HOLDERS, EACH BLADE HAVING ANGULAR POSITION RELATIVE TO A RADIAL PLANE OF THE TURRET 